We got two Eubank-Benn face offs for the price of one at the final press conference on Thursday evening.
As Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn went head-to-head just two days out from their highly anticipated rematch, their famous fathers also joined them on the stage and had a stare down of their own.
Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn eventually shook hands and embraced, but there was no such cooling off from their sons and the pair looked more than ready for battle as they glared at each other in ice cool fashion.
Eubank Jr. vs Benn 2 | Sunday 16 Nov from 4am AEDT – estimated main event ring walk time 8:45am AEDT | Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will come face to face once again, rekindling their family rivalry in a highly anticipated rematch | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Eubank Jr. and Benn put on a British classic in their first encounter in April, when the former came out on top via a unanimous decision, and they head back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to do it all again on Saturday, live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.
This was their last chance to have their say to the media ahead of their second contest and, once again, Eubank Jr. went on the offensive to Team Benn from the get-go.
“There is something I need to address first and foremost,” Eubank Jr. said.
“Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn and Nigel Benn, over the last few months, have been making accusations and claims that my father was paid to come to the fight in April.
“[They are] just barefaced lies and anyone with a brain knows that they are not true, but I still have to address it because it is extremely disrespectful to my father and myself.
“So, I am just getting it out into the open, saying once and for all that that never happened, and for these men to stop lying to the public.”
When asked about his unexpected presence at the top table, Chris Eubank Sr. gave his customary monologue but made it clear he was there just to support his son.
Eubank Sr. said: “He’s doing the weight so I am here to support, just in case there are those who want to bark or scold him. So, I guess I am here to actually protect him.”
Rather than fire verbal volleys at promoters, Conor Benn’s attention was firmly on his opponent and what happened in the first fight.
When asked what makes him say that he took Eubank Jr.’s soul in April, Benn replied: “The fact that he was in hospital for three days and I was back in the gym on the Sunday.
“For the most damage in the fight, I feel I inflicted a lot more pain.
“His work rate was incredible, his resilience, his strength, his spirit, his athleticism, his experience – he used really well.
“He took me by surprise and he’s a better fighter than I thought he was, but I am ready to take what is left [of him] come Saturday.”
Eubank Jr. came back with a razor-sharp quip: “Who won the fight, Conor? If you take a man’s soul, it usually means you win the fight.
“The truth is we were both in hospital – I was there for dehydration and you were there because of the punishment you took.”
Things quickly got very serious again when it came to their final predictions and Benn’s answer was a little more thoughtful than usual.
He explained: “If you asked me this question six months ago, my answer would have been, ‘I’m going to go out there and render him unconscious’.
“Don’t get me wrong, I dream about it but I am just going to go in there and give a calculated performance.
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“I’m here to give people value for money and entertainment but, ultimately, my priority is to go in there and get the win – however that comes.”
Eubank Jr. had the final word of the night as he simply declared: “The procedure will be parliamentary.”
This story originally published on dazn.com and was republished with permission.